Trends from RainFocus data and executive insights uncover increased spend on experiential engagement, a return to pre-pandemic registration patterns, and a shift towards AI “world models,” all with an emphasis on customer connection

LEHI, Utah, Dec. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — RainFocus™, provider of the next-generation event marketing platform, today released its 2026 B2B marketing forecast, a compilation of trends and predictions shaping the experiential and digital marketing industry in the new year. Leveraging proprietary data, RainFocus experts defined 2025 as the year of experimentation, and 2026 as the year of context-aware “world models.”

Four key trends emerged, backed by RainFocus data and executive insights:

The Rise of AI World Models: Moving beyond traditional LLMs, the first versions of world models will emerge in 2026. Unlike current systems that calculate the probability of the next word or phrase, these models possess an actual understanding of the context and nuance of an interaction. This makes them uniquely suited to the complexity of the event marketing channel, where understanding the relationship between a high-value meeting and a specific customer’s buying stage is critical.
From Experimentation to Autonomous Portfolios: In 2025, event marketing teams experimented with registration strategies and new formats. For 2026, RainFocus predicts these will evolve into autonomous micro-event portfolios. Using the RainFocus Base Module, marketers can now scale thousands of small, repeatable events that operate with integrated governance while remaining personalized to each local market and attendee.
Return to Predictable Registration Patterns: Data analysis confirms that pre-pandemic registration patterns and engagement metrics, last seen in 2019, have resurfaced. Early registration launches are once again creating elongated, predictable patterns that allow marketing teams to forecast attendance and revenue with higher accuracy than in the previous three years.
Connection Supplements Content: Audience engagement data indicates a clear shift toward shorter, more interactive session formats. Attendees are increasingly prioritizing connection and networking over passive content consumption. Organizations are rehauling traditional conference agendas to favor real-time, personalized interaction.

RainFocus executives shared their thoughts on the forecast:

Marius Milcher, VP of Platform Strategy and AI: “We are approaching a critical inflection point where the industry’s reliance on probability-based AI will start to shift. Current LLMs are excellent at determining the next likely word, but they often lack true understanding of the nuance and context within a business interaction. In 2026, we predict the rise of world models that move beyond these limitations, offering a fundamental understanding of the business environment to orchestrate more meaningful, non-linear customer experiences.”
JR Sherman, CEO: “A successful experiential strategy in 2026 will be a connected customer journey, not a siloed moment. Our strategy is focused on giving every real-life engagement a perpetual source of high-value data through our Global Attendee Profile, ensuring that as world models arrive, our clients have the definitive intelligence layer needed to fuel them.”
Brian Gates, SVP of Industry Strategy: “As we’re seeing attendees increasingly prioritize connection and networking over content at events, quality post-event content will be critical. AI’s most promising near-term use case is automating post-event follow-up and content distribution, filling the gap traditionally left by limited sales resources to extend event ROI.”
Ashleigh Cook, CMO: “AI is driving the growing trend of micro-events and roadshow series. One large annual conference might not be sufficient for organizations in today’s quickly evolving tech landscape. We’re seeing a rise in small, repeatable events, enabling companies to get in front of customers more often and with a more personalized approach. We’re anticipating this to continue well into the new year.”

For more information on 2026 trends and predictions, join RainFocus at its annual flagship event, RainFocus INSIGHT — Jan. 20-22, 2026, in Salt Lake City and online.

About RainFocus
RainFocus is the next-generation event marketing platform built to capture and analyze unprecedented amounts of first-party data for exceptional events and optimized engagement throughout the customer journey. RainFocus powers flawless experiences with secure, scalable solutions to support the entire event lifecycle. The platform integrates with sales and marketing technologies, simplifying event registration, content management, and exhibitor activation across in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences, all from a single dashboard. Leveraging real-time data, RainFocus provides actionable insights to drive personalization, accelerate qualification and lead conversion, and close deals. For more information, visit www.rainfocus.com.

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